Be With You
by NotoriouslyN
Summary: A peek into Takahashi Ryosuke's married life and how he met his wife.


Locking the car with the remote control, Takahashi Ryosuke's wife of seven months jingled the key of her S2000 happily while making way into the house.

It had been long since she last drove on Akagi after she found out last summer that she was already two weeks pregnant. When she had told Ryosuke about it, he had prohibited her from driving on Akagi, or any mountain passes, stating that it was too dangerous for a pregnant woman's doing. It was, of course, a logical reasoning, as always. Having nothing to go against him, she obediently listened.

For the five weeks after that, she had quelled her desire of driving on the pass by watching professional races on TV instead.

Then, came the morning sickness on the seventh week. It had started off as pretty mild in the first few mornings and Ryosuke had stayed at home and given her backrubs till it reduced in the afternoon, going only to the hospital after lunch. For that, she was very thankful to have him by her side. But, the nausea did not stop there—it became worse. Ryosuke's backrub wasn't that helpful anymore, so he bought various products available in the market to help her face the hellishly dreaded mornings. And so, the many flavored B6 and sugar lozenges, acupressure bands, organic herbal tea, morning sickness lollipops, aromatherapy spray and prenatal vitamins conveniently stacked on a shelf in their room became her constant companion in the early hours of the day.

However, for some reasons, after taking it continuously for three weeks since the first day it started, her vomiting seem immune to these remedies and she came up with a crazy idea that she did not tell Ryosuke yet and wasn't planning to, unless he somehow found out about it. She resorted to try driving on the mountain pass to help reduce her morning sickness. It had worked and she wasn't planning for the two laps at the mountain today to be the first and the last one for her during pregnancy.

Unlocking the front door, she saw the all- too- familiar yellow car in her peripheral vision parked next to a green Mazda Demio. _So they're here; Keisuke and Tsugumi._ Not giving much thought to what they were up to, she entered the house quietly.

Expecting the house to be in total quiet, her ears immediately picked up soft sounds of the two said visitors from the dining room.

"I think Aniki and Aya are soon going to be parents." She heard Keisuke say.

"Really?!" She could easily tell from Tsugumi's voice that she was excited on the idea of becoming an aunt.

"Are you sure?" Tsugumi leaned across the table and peered into her younger cousin's eyes. "How did you find out?" She was feeling slightly skeptical on the news, after all, he was a guy and wasn't a doctor. How could he tell if someone was pregnant?

Still eavesdropping from the living room, Takahashi Aya wondered on how had her brother- in- law found out about it. As far as she knew, no one was supposed to know. Surely, Ryosuke and the obstetrician were trustworthy enough to depend on not to let anyone know about it until she had decided to do so.

Keisuke turned away from her penetrating gaze, sulking slightly. "You don't believe me, don't you?"

"Geez, Keisuke, don't be a baby." Rolling her eyes, she leaned back in her chair.

Knowing what she was doing without looking, Keisuke complained, "Stop rolling your eyes. It's annoying!"

"I'll roll 'em till you tell me," she countered, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Well then, start rolling them till I decide to tell you." Keisuke stuck out his tongue at her, only to get the exact same response directed back at him again.

Deciding that it would be ideal to make an appearance now, amidst the tension between the two, she strolled casually into the room. As soon as they were aware of her presence, both younger Takahashis immediately fixed their eyes on her belly.

Ignoring them, she turned to Tsugumi who quickly averted her gaze to the textbook on the table. "How's college?"

"It's not too bad. The lecturers are good, but…I prefer Ryosuke." The eighteen year old admitted.

"Yeah, Ryosuke's a good tutor, no doubt." _He's good at everything, _Aya added the last part to herself silently_._ "Anyways, if you're waiting for him, you've got to stay over for dinner. He'll be late tonight."

"Yay. I miss your cooking so much." Tsugumi exclaimed, smiling broadly as she went to hug her cousin.

Aya kept herself in the embrace for a moment before slowly pulling away to look in Keisuke's direction. "Kei, don't drink too much of those kind of drinks. It's not good for you," she reminded him in a reprimanding manner.

"Hai." The blond nodded and sucked deeply at the straw before walking in the direction of the kitchen to dispose the can of soft drink. If one were to ask him on what his elder sibling and sister- in- law have in common, despite their two very different personalities, the answer would be their constant nagging at him on taking care of his health.

* * *

Clad in a bathrobe, Aya sat down heavily on the large bed. _I was wrong_, she thought as she massaged her temples lightly. Driving as she did this morning on the mountain pass had seemed to be a bad idea now.

Maybe Ryosuke's right. That driving on the mountain pass isn't exactly what I should be doing now. _Damn_…she hated it when what he said was right. It just proved on how much he knew about things that she was not sure of herself.

It had been always like this. He was always the more confident and surer of them both, while she was the less than perfect one. However, perfect as he was, there were still chinks in his armor. Okay, maybe not chinks, but a chink. His weakness was only visible to her, because she was his weakness. He had never admitted this, but she knew and could see how he acted differently whenever she was around. For this, she had given herself the credit for allowing something of emotion to penetrate through his cold exterior and she gladly took the seemingly big- headed statement in stride.

Padding across the room in her slippers, she turned to stare at herself in the mirror. Seeing her pale and tired reflection, she went to open the drawers of the dresser, knowing that if she did not put on some makeup to hide the fatigue she was involuntarily showing, Ryosuke would eventually know that she was doing something she shouldn't be doing when he wasn't at home.

* * *

Stepping out of his white FC into the chilly night air, Ryosuke stuffed his hands deep into his pant pocket and moved his head to look upwards at the sky littered with lesser stars compared to last night.

Looking up, and feeling the gentle caress of the wind on his hair, his thoughts unconsciously drifted to a particular pair of amethyst eyes. At first, it had seemed almost unbelievable for him to be waking up to have those beautiful, caring eyes staring sleepily at him every morning, but he had quickly gotten himself used to the warm feeling of waking up with your wife beside you, and limbs entwined together in a loving embrace.

Thinking back to the day of their marriage and the day when she informed him that he was going to be a dad, he was suddenly reminded of the day they first met. They had met during Project D's battle expedition to Ibaraki.

* * *

A girl in a purple Gap cropped sleeve tee and straight- cut jeans stood facing Joushima Toshiya with a frown creased into her forehead.

"Ojisan, now you see what exactly happens when you stretch the race too long." The girl said, clearly disagreeing with his tactic of hiding his true ability, which at the same time also instills confusion and self- doubt in his opponent.

"I know. There wouldn't be next time. Besides, I've got no choice." The bespectacled middle- aged man hung his head in shame, unknowingly making his niece feeling a wee bit guilty. "But I still can't believe that the indigestion could get in the way of my driving."

Her eyes widened. "Are you trying to say—" A pause. "that you hadn't expected for this to take so long?" she asked. Her uncle nodded his head slightly in reply.

Thinking again, she realized that the possibility of such occurrence did make sense. After all, from what she had heard from her peers in the racing scene, her uncle's opponent this time was quite the great racer, albeit driving an 86. She heard that he was extremely young too. _He's probably a racing genius_. A strong feeling of badly wanting to meet Akina's 86 bubbled in her chest.

Looking at her uncle, she could easily tell that he was just too glad to admit defeat. It wasn't everyday that he had the privilege of racing against real good racers on the streets.

"This summer is really hot. I wonder why." Toshiya muttered, opening the car of his door to take out a towel.

"I don't feel hot at all." A member of Purple Shadow said, scratching his head. He was puzzled.

"Maybe it's the climate change," she answered, thoughtful.

"It's not my fault," Toshiya stated, giving her an accusing look.

She raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Ojisan, I didn't say anything about you being the contributor to climate change."

"You were accusing me, weren't you?" He pointed a finger at her and narrowed his eyes for effect.

"Well," she crossed her arms, indignant to back off now. "you were racing just now, and of course it did release carbon gases into the air. Don't say I'm wrong, _doctor_." She brought a can of Pepsi she was holding in her hand to her lips and slowly drank the cold liquid.

Before he could form a retort, someone interrupted them. "Ano…"

The trio immediately turned to see Takahashi Ryosuke and Fujiwara Takumi standing in front of them. "Huh?"

The leader of Project D bowed politely, followed by the downhill ace. "Good evening. I'm Takahashi Ryosuke." _The 86 driver looked really young, like he had just graduated from high school, _she thought_._ He straightened, eyes briefly meeting hers and then stood facing her uncle. "I'm sorry for the interruption, but I have a favor to ask of you."

_What the hell?_

She choked on her drink. Bending down and coughing uncontrollably, she felt all eyes land upon her. _What am I doing? Embarrassing myself in front of a group of guys?_ With that, she quickly forced herself to regain her control and stood straight up again as she felt a hand gently patting her back. It was her uncle.

"Are you okay?" her uncle asked, concerned while the others looked on curiously, except for Ryosuke who pretended as if nothing had happened, staring impassively into the distance.

"I'm fine," she assured, waving away all the looks she was getting from them.

"Joushima- san?"

"Ah, yes. What can I possibly help you with, Takahashi- san?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like you to allow Fujiwara to ride downhill alongside you in your car."

Toshiya nodded even though he found the request a little odd. _What can a loser probably offer a winner?_

Seeing the unsurely look on her uncle's face, she made herself ask the question that the older man did not voice out. "Ryosuke- san, I'm curious to know the reason for your interest in his driving." She pointed a thumb in her uncle's direction.

He nodded and answered simply, "By watching Joushima- san's technique first hand, I hope he'll be able to improve his driving skills." _Of course._ _No wonder he's the leader for the team, he's got brains and knows how to use them, she mused in admiration._

She bowed gratefully before following her uncle, who upon hearing the reason for this drive, slowly made his way to the blue Honda parked in the parking lot.

As the two were buckling on the seatbelt, she approached them at the opened driver's side door. "Ojisan, don't push too hard. Your health condition is getting worrisome after the race today."

"Don't sweat it, I'm perfectly fine. There's nothing to worry about." He revved up his engine several times. "If you want to be worried, you better do that on Kou- chan. He's piling up on cholesterol."

"You're probably not doing much better yourself. I'll schedule an appointment for you with a cardiologist at Takasaki Hospital tomorrow for a check up." She had realized a little while ago that his frequent sweating was not a good thing. From what she had observed tonight, aside from his usual indigestion pain, it had worsened after the race and he also experienced nausea and sweating— an indication of possible angina.

"Hnn…do whatever you want." He made a shooing motion and tried to get hold of the door handle. "Let me have some fun now." With that, she moved away from the car door, before seeing Takahashi Ryosuke doing the same on the other side of the car.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Riding alongside God Hand is somewhat an act of grace, isn't it?" Fumihiro Hiroshi asked the slightly younger raven- haired man that stood beside him, arms crossed.

"He was more than willing to accept the offer," Ryosuke informed him while his mind was trying to recall on where had he seen the girl that asked him about his motive of letting his protégé experience Joushima- san's driving first- hand.

"Actually, I would have liked to sit next to him, myself." Fumihiro wasn't surprised with the confession, knowing him well enough, he expected something of this sort to leave his tongue.

Standing near the guardrail at the end of the mountaintop parking lot, Joushima Aya dug in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a Swarovski- embellished mobile phone. She dialed her best friend's number.

"Shizuka, can you help me ask Imamura–sensei for any assignments that she would be giving at class tomorrow?"

"_Sure. But, why wouldn't you be able to come tomorrow?"_

"I've got to bring my ojisan to the hospital. He's not feeling well."

"_You mean Toshiya- sama?! The famous racer known as God Hand?!" _Aya moved the electronic device away from her ear, in the process startling Ryosuke and Fumihiro who stood talking nearby.

Fumihiro looked at the girl and silently watched on as he saw his leader staring intently at the girl. He was studying her.

"Er…yeah. He's the one." She was stunned by the sudden enthusiastic reaction from her friend, who, to top it all, wasn't a racing fan.

_The girl on the other line_ _exclaimed,_ _"Don't worry! I'll be glad to be of help. Ja!" _

"Thank you." Aya thanked her friend briefly before hanging up.

Pretending that he wasn't looking at what Ryosuke's doing, Fumihiro excused himself and walked over to where the support vans of Project D was parked, disappearing from sight after one last glance in the direction of the girl that had caught the attention of Akagi's 'Lone' White Comet . This was going to be interesting…, he mused.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you a medical student?" Caught unprepared, she quickly spun on her heels and came face to face with the charismatic Takahashi Ryosuke.

"Pardon? I didn't exactly hear what you were asking." She smiled sheepishly.

"Are you a medical student?" He repeated his question.

She laughed. "Yeah," _How did he know_?

"I remembered seeing you in the university grounds once." Ryosuke spoke, easily reading her mind, answering the unasked question.

She took a small step back, out of a sudden feeling very vulnerable that he could see through her emotions. "It's hard to believe that you were studying at the same university. Now that I do, it's kind of amusing for me to not notice a car like yours in the parking lot."

He chuckled lightly. "My car isn't that flashy."

She glanced at him in surprise. She hadn't expected the great racer that everyone knew to be someone modest.

Ryosuke sat on the guardrail and stared on the ground. Why was he talking to her? This was unlike the cold, analytical persona that he allowed the world to see. Was she any different from all the people that he knew?

He looked up and saw her staring at him. _Dang it, he caught me. _

Much to her relief, he didn't make a big deal out of what she was doing. Looking away, he stood up and proceeded to stand beside her. She watched him unsurely out of the corner of her eyes.

"I heard Joushima Toshiya and Hoshino Kouzo don't come out to race often." It was a general knowledge for all racers in this area, so why was he telling her about it?

"Do you know why they aren't actively involved in challenging other racers?" She understood now. He was curious about those middle- aged men, wanting to find out more about them from a source that he could trust.

"Ojisan— no, I mean, Toshiya," _So he was her uncle, _Ryosuke noted. _No wonder they seem so close. _"and Kouzo- san felt it was a waste of time to go round challenging other racers. They had this believe that youngsters weren't serious in racing and had vowed to never race them again, especially punks that boasted themselves even before a race and ended up losing." She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment on how the majority of people her age were being viewed by the two.

"I had tried changing their minds by pushing myself to be the best on Nagano's passes, but it was no go—Oops, sorry." She gasped and covered her mouth, face becoming beet red. What had she said? Did she just told the leader of the ever- dominating racing team that she was the best in Nagano?

The skin below Ryosuke's dark eyebrows stretched. He wasn't prepared for this revelation. She hadn't seem to look like she knew much about cars, except for that a car is a four- wheeled motorized vehicle for carrying passengers. Surprised as he was, any trace of that emotion was quickly wiped off from his handsome features as soon as it appeared.

She turned away, burying her face in her hands, berating herself for that slip of a tongue. What should I do?

Sighing again, she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear with her back turned to him. "I'm not much good in racing though." She paused, What now?

Was she contradicting what she had said earlier? He frowned. The driver of the famous black Honda of the Nagano prefecture was being too modest with herself. A racer should be proud of their skills— she was like Fujiwara when he started racing last summer, perhaps even more modest, since she was more widely known compared to Akina's 86.

"Didn't Joushima- san taught you his racing skills? You should be as good as him."

"Maybe…" she trailed away and walked away briskly without anything as little as another charitable glance in the direction of the man who was now completely baffled on the inside by her response.

She hated being reminded of her skills in racing. It brought back the memories of her losing once on her home course.

For a moment, he stood rooted there, staring at her retreating form. It was obvious that she was trying to get away from him. She was a stranger to him and he was also one to her, but something in him couldn't let her go, he wanted… something from her.

He followed her, pace easily matching hers. She took more big steps, distancing them further. He looked around the parking lot, saw no one looking at them and then did the same, intensifying his footsteps as casually as he could.

She was only a few steps in front of him now.

Extending his arm, Ryosuke took hold of her wrist. She froze in her tracks, took unprepared by the abruptness of his act. He looked down to his hand around her wrist, the softness of her skin oddly inviting his hand to remain there.

Unable to pull away from his strong yet gentle grip, she stared blankly at him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She saw the changing expression in his eyes, but heard no reply coming from him. Had he wandered off to dreamland?

A cool mountain breeze blew past them and Ryosuke detected the distinct feminine scent of Jasmine, Pink Pepper and Citrus. Inhaling slowly but deeply, the floral fresh scent of hers threw his mind and senses into an abyss of chaos. It confused him, and even more so, it scared him. He could not understand this alien experience, and wasn't able to find a reason to explain this feeling.

"Ryosuke- san?" She tried again, waving her other hand in front of him. He blinked distractedly and was soon taking refuge in his composure again.

"Are you alright?" She probed with a tinge of worry in her voice.

"I'm fine." His voice was back to the usual emotionless voice.

Realizing that he was holding her, he hurriedly released her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he said, referring to the physical contact earlier.

She shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal." Trying to remember something, she met his stoic gaze, hoping to be able to recall what it was. _That's it._ "Ryosuke- san, did you have something to say to me earlier?"

"Yes." He glanced over at her shoulder at the sound of an approaching car. The Honda was back. He'd have to make it quick. "I don't know your name," he stated simply.

_Right, I've forgotten to introduce myself._ "Joushima Aya. That's the name." She smiled politely.

"It's my pleasure meeting you, Aya- chan."

"Likewise. Bye." She waved lightly and headed to the other side of the lot towards her uncle's parked car.

When the car came into her field of vision, she met Fujiwara Takumi who was on the way back to his team. Not letting this chance of meeting and actually talking to him in person to slip away, she called out to him. "Takumi- san."

At that split second, the teenager stopped walking and turned around, "Hai?"

It took him quite a while to see her in the dark surroundings. As his eyes adjusted itself, he was able to make out that the person calling him was a girl. She looked familiar, almost…then he remembered! She was the one with Joushima- san and also the one who had the nerve to question Ryosuke- san's motive for that short ride that ended just a while ago. No one asks him questions like that, not even Keisuke- san. "Did you learn something, sitting beside him?" She cocked her head to one side.

"Yeah, but I need to ask Ryosuke- san to explain it in greater detail."

"Forgive him. He's indeed complicated. Old people like him are complicated."

He tittered. _Reminds me of the shitty old man I have at home_. "Sure." He saw that her dressing was entirely different from those of Mogi, Mako and Sayuki. "May I know what your name is?"

"Joushima Aya."

He nodded. "Aya- chan? That's a nice name."

She smiled. "Thanks." _I certainly love that name._ "Takumi suits you too. You sure are skillful." Even in the darkness, she could see a blush forming becomingly on his innocent face. _He's cute… I wonder if he's got a girlfriend._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

As the staff members of Project D were packing up, ready to head back, Ryosuke went to van #1 and climbed in. Fingering the seat controls, he reclined the front passenger seat and closed his eyes.

"Everything's checked?"

"Yes, and we're ready to go." Matsumoto replied as he took one final look around to make sure that everyone was already at the respective vehicles.

"Then, let's go." Fumihiro entered the first van and started the ignition, followed by the sounds of more engines of the other vans coming into life in the quiet, almost deserted mountain.

She looked about and noticed that they were the only one left on this mountain. Everyone that came to witness the much- anticipated race today, locals and outsiders alike, had gone back home. Longing for the feel of her goose down pillow under her head, she yawned. Sitting on the hood of her uncle's car, she gulped down the can of coffee intended to keep her awake. Having high caffeine- tolerance level, coffee had no effect on her, besides quenching her thirst as all drinks do to those who drank it.

She took out her mobile and glanced at the time. It was five minutes past two in the morning. "Ojisan, when are we going to head home?"

"Soon." The man, who was staring off into the depths of blackness on the mountainside made by the trees, took a long sip of the hot caffeinated canned beverage.

_His definition of soon is 60 minutes. _She yawned louder this time. _I suppose that when you get older, everything around you becomes slower. I've got a good example here. _She slipped off the hood and got to her feet, going to the vending machine for another can of coffee, a latte this time. She couldn't help herself. Coffee was her favorite, hence the constant visits of hers and Shizuka to Starbucks.

Fumihiro chanced a sideways glance at his friend when they were driving along the expressway. This wasn't the first time that Ryosuke had slept for so long, but he had a feeling that he wasn't sleeping.

He, in fact, really wasn't sleeping. He couldn't sleep, _she_ bothered him. Closing them, he could only rest his tired eyes. This again was something that had never happened to him. Sleep had always come easily to him whenever he wanted to. Why was his body being stubborn like it had never been before? His eyes shot open, revealing eyes that were free from any signs of tiredness, but if one looked closely enough, there were slight puffiness around his eye area.

"_She's pretty." _Takumi's words from earlier came into his mind. She was beautiful, undeniably so, but, he knew her physical appearance wasn't the reason why he felt as if she ignited a flame that had never burned in him before. Feeling the heat of this fire coming alive when he took hold of her hand was one experience that brought as much enjoyment as racing and medicine.

_Something is certainly on his mind_, Fumihiro concluded when he finally brought his gaze back to the road in front of him. Curious as he was, he was smart enough not to ask him about it. He wouldn't get any answers, that was painstakingly obvious — Takahashi Ryosuke was an introvert in many aspects, and judging from the cryptic advices he had lately started given to his brother and Fujiwara, it doesn't need an expert to make such deductions.

He had a hunch that the one thing occupying his mind at the moment was _her_, the young lady that he did not know the name of.

Takahashi Ryosuke was not the kind of man she would have bothered to take notice of, not as long as she was alive. His indifferent eyes, the straight line his lips was pulled into and the mysterious aura that surrounded him awakened in her a curiosity that was hard to resist and a determination to uncover the secrets that he hid deep within him. Unknown to her, curiosity was one of the many masks love had.

"You drive." Toshiya informed, eyes anxiously surveying his niece. She seemed…preoccupied. The last time he saw her looking like this was when she had to prepare an in- depth review and analysis of a topic in gastrointestinal pathophysiology,

"Okay." He heard her answer. It was clear that she did not hear what he was saying._ What in the world had happened to make her become so engrossed in her thoughts?_

He shuddered inwardly, not at all the least bit interested to know what this sudden seriousness is all about.

He cleared his throat, effectively pulling her out of her thoughts. "We are going home."

She moved away from the side of the car that she had been leaning on and went to the trash bin, dropping the aluminum can. When she neared the car, her uncle told her again. "You drive"

"Ojisan, you serious?" She asked, afraid that she might have heard wrong.

"I'm serious, but don't crash." he warned and saw an irritated look on her face.

"Of course, I won't." she snapped back, a little too loud. She realized then, "Sorry."

They both got into the car. Once inside, after adjusting the mirrors and seat, she started the car.

He relaxed into the seat, confident that if she was busy thinking of something, once she started to drive, all her thoughts will be put in an unreachable area of her mind to be concerned with later and now be concentrating wholeheartedly on her driving and the road in front. Making sure that he was right, he glanced at his niece and saw that she had easily molded into the S2000 that was tuned differently from hers and completely at ease as she smoothly down geared and signaled before she entered a junction.

* * *

"Why hasn't he come in yet?" Aya had heard from the sound of the well- maintained rotary engine that he had entered the driveway quite a while ago. He couldn't be fussing with his car now, right? It's impossible—he's tweaked his car up to the max, plus he's already retired, and that had been three years ago.

_I gonna go check on him_. He should know that he'd have to return to the hospital again in fifteen hours for one major bypass surgery.

Slipping on her off- white mockneck cardigan, she rushed down the stairs and out of the large residence.

* * *

Once outside, she briskly walked towards his car parked beside hers. Seeing him by his car, she stopped short. As he stood unmoving, face tilted towards the heavens, soft dark hair coming down his face at the forehead and hands in his pockets, his handsomeness struck her once again. She couldn't believe that she had managed to snag Ryosuke to settle down with her and that he was soon going to be a dad. The idea of him having a child to take care of still amused her to no end. It also seemed absurd that in the near future, parenting is something that she and he had to do. She was sure that he could take that up easily in his stride, but she was certain that she wouldn't be able to be a good parent.

Sensing someone was nearby, Ryosuke turned to see his wife standing not so far away, eyes fixed on him, deep in thinking. Activating the alarm of his car, he went to where she stood and put his hands on her shoulders, gently shaking her.

Realizing he was staring down at her, she snapped back to reality. "I was wondering why you're out here so long."

"Nothing. I was just thinking." He dismissed, shrugging.

"Thinking of what?" She took hold of his hand, the coolness of his platinum wedding band pressed against her fingers.

He smirked. "I'm not telling you." She would surely tease him for being a sentimental romantic if he had told her. That would destroy all the pride that he had been holding on to since they've gotten married.

A thoughtful silence came from her. "Hmmm…let me guess." She grinned. 'You're thinking about this unborn kid?"

"I don't count the chickens before they hatch." He stated, injecting some seriousness into his voice.

She smiled broadly, putting her arms around his neck. "I miss this side of you." She loved him when he was being the Ryosuke that everyone knew before he retired.

He wound his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Lucky me, I'm not missing anything."

The muscles in her face, throat and chest twitched. "Ac- choo!" Pulling away from their romantic exchange, she sneezed, startling Ryosuke. "Sumimasen." She opened her eyes that had closed as a protective reflex in every human.

He acted quickly, slipping out of his blazer. "You should wear something thicker next time." He started to cover her form with the garment.

She moved away, declining to take his blazer. "No, you wear it. I'm not cold." She pushed it back to him.

"You are. People sneeze when they're cold." he reasoned, one hand holding the blazer slung over his right shoulder. This is one argument with her that he'll emerge a sure victor.

"I can sneeze because of variety of reasons." she stated, gears in her head turning to make up excuses. "It could be that I'm allergic to the nasal irritants in the air, or I'm suffering from drug withdrawal, or maybe— Ac- choo!" She rubbed her nose, knowing that she had lost in this argument.

"Or maybe corticosteroid inhalation from certain nose sprays," he finished for her. Much to her annoyance, he chuckled victoriously.

She slapped his arm. "Don't be a snob. You're not the one always winning." Both knew what she meant. There were more than numerous times when he had given in, for instance, when they had a little row on choosing the interior designs for their house.

He covered her with the clothing, a satisfied smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. She had been stubborn ever since he got to know her, perhaps that was the reason why he loved her.

"Thanks." She put her hand through the long sleeves, properly wearing the large warm clothing that hung awkwardly on her shoulders and went down until her mid thigh. Hands skimming across the material, she recognized this navy striped blazer as the one she bought for him last week when they went to Tokyo for shopping.

He saw her smile, and also smiled himself. Lately, she had been the one that took care of his wardrobe, making him wear sweaters, polos and tees of colors that he never dared wear before—which was why he was wearing a vermilion- colored polo tee tonight.

"Let's get inside." He offered his arm. She looped her arm with his.

* * *

"Tsugumi's here." Ryosuke drank the cup of hot matcha that she had prepared for him. He had told her not to spend money on such expensive tea, but she insisted that he needed this, for this powdered tea has higher concentrations of catechins and vitamins.

"Yeah, she wanted you to guide her with studies." He had seen the green Mazda with seven speed selective CVT on the way into the house. Ryosuke had recommended that hatchback when she had asked him on which Mazda was suitable for her.

"I'll go take a shower first." He placed the empty cup on the dining table and ascended the stairs.

She nodded and walked into the kitchen to prepare his dinner. She had gotten used to him coming back late from the hospital. To compensate for the lesser time they had together away from their jobs, both kept themselves free on weekends to spent quality time together.

Ryosuke closed the door of the master bedroom and went to undress. Blazer properly hung in the walk- in wardrobe and the others of his dress being put into the hamper, he went into the bathroom. As he stood under the warm running water of the shower, he had a feeling that something was different with her today. She acted the same but the color of her face looked somewhat different. He had a feeling that it wasn't the sign of anything good. His instincts never betrayed him. He had learned to trust them a long time ago— they were by no means a racer's best ally when racing.

He'll find out what was going wrong with her soon enough. Shutting off the water with a hand on the shower valve, he pushed open the glass door. Toweling off, he put on a dark charcoal chequered shirt and jeans. Even after marrying her, he still couldn't understand women. For him, they were complicated.

Females weren't completely truthful— they would say that they're fine and everything is okay when in truth all that's going around them is wrong. It wasn't easy to determine if they were lying or not. But the knowledge he had gained from being married to one of them had come in handy; he had learned to see the signs when they were in this mode. She, surprisingly, did not show those signs today though he sensed something was off.

Entering the kitchen, he detected the aroma of his favorite soup. Seeing her wait for the soup to simmer a little more, he remembered her telling him two days ago that she might be cooking up something that he liked. He sneaked up behind her and peeked through the glass lid of the pot. Something that wasn't usually in the soup caught his eye.

"Why are there dumplings? You don't usually put them together." He remarked, lips brushing her ears.

"I just felt like making them." Came the casual reply as she lifted the lid and dropped in the washed soba that she had earlier put in a colander.

She, knowing that he had came into the kitchen to help, handed him the empty sieve to be washed. Efficient, he went to the sink, turned on the tap and within seconds the sieve was placed on the kitchen rack nearby to be left to dry.

Without warning, Ryosuke's stomach emitted a low rumble. From the corner of her eye, she saw him turn his face away and brought a hand to his stomach. _He's embarrassed._

Laughing lightly at his embarrassment, she pushed him out of the kitchen into the dining room. "It's cruel to make a hungry man even hungrier. The food will be ready in a jiffy."

"That'll be a good idea." The suggestion was definitely welcoming to him.

* * *

Loosening the knot around her neck and waist, Aya removed the apron and hung it on one corner of the tiled kitchen wall. She took a pair of chopsticks, placed it on the bowl and walked out to where Ryosuke was perusing the day's newspaper, elbows on the table.

His eyes immediately went to the bowl of soup noodles in her hand when he heard the approaching padding of slippers on the marble floor. Standing up from the chair, he pulled one empty chair beside his and went to help take the bowl from her. It was then that he noticed something really wasn't right. There were swirls rippling through the surface of the clear broth. She was moving, he realized. And rather involuntarily at that. He quickly darted out an arm to hold her around the waist.

Steadying her, he made her look at him straight in the eye. "What's wrong? You can't stand properly." His voice had an edge that she very well knew was a betrayal of the anger he was feeling now. He probably knew what she was up to.

The intensity of his emotion was hitting her in waves but she knew she had to lie. He had been busy enough the past few days and she did not want to have him busy worrying about her. She could stand on her own legs this time. Surely, a slight dizziness wouldn't be too much to handle.

She casually looked away, now finding the Chinese painting of winter cherry blossoms that hung on the wall behind Ryosuke particularly fascinating. She mentally began counting the number of petals in one cluster of the Venetian red flowers.

He did not need to hear her answer. The little action had given him enough answers to what he needed to know. How could she do this to him? He frowned, not getting it. There was nothing against a husband being worried about his own wife, is there?

Pulling free from the strong arm that encircled her small waist, she took a step back and made a little pirouette. "See, I can stand pretty stable on my own." She used her hands and emphasized how she stood. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

She saw his gaze harden imperceptibly at her response and pretended as if she had not seen anything on his face. Somehow, though, she half- expected him to say something and hoped that he would just let it go. Lying twice in a row was not something she find pleasure in and if she could help it, she hated lying to him especially.

"Don't do that to me, Aya…" He cupped her face, lips pressed against her forehead. She melted at that gesture and leaned into him. She was acutely aware that he was doing this in hopes of her being honest to him.

He wasn't feigning the hurt he was feeling now, and had used it to his advantage. This is the only way to make whatever barrier she had built to keep herself from telling him the truth to crumble.

She flinched visibly at the raw pain in his voice but kept standing on her ground. "What do you mean?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"You know what I mean." His voice was cold.

Meeting his gaze with defiance, she steered him towards his chair with her hands on his back. "Eat your dinner first."

When she had made sure that he had finally seated, she sat too. Reluctantly, Ryosuke began eating, the slurping of noodles filling the silence between them.

She was as quiet as he was, which began to unnerve him. She wasn't usually this silent, hell, she could even hardly breathe without a noise. Worried, he casted a few inconspicuous glances in her direction, only to be greeted by the back of her head. The sight of her straight ruddy- colored hair gave him no clue whatsoever to what was in her mind now. Shaking his head, there was nothing he could do to make her talk until she had decided to do so. He knew perfectly well that if she did not want to talk to him, she will resolutely stick to her decision and all he could do is to wait. _Women_, he decided. With that, he picked up a bite- sized piece of daikon radish and brought it to his mouth.

She had heard that he had resumed eating and relaxed slightly. It was ironic that she had to be guarded around him, but that was what most people did when they meet him. He was not one who would make you feel at ease; instead his presence made you self- conscious and jittery—one would always feel his eyes on your back no matter where you go, though he didn't do this in a very obvious fashion, of course. By now, he should have already picked up the signs_. You can't expect anything lesser from Takahashi Ryosuke. _she added dryly.

Without warning, a pain tore through the insides of her head. Gritting her teeth in intense agony, she pressed her palms flat on the table, not having a single care of hiding it from him anymore. Through the painful haze, she thought she saw him coming to her and before she could comprehend what he was doing, everything disappeared from view. Her world went black, as if the electricity that powered lighting appliances in their house was cut off in a split second.

_We did pay the bills, didn't we? _It was the last thing that came to her mind as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Did you see Takahashi- sama just now?" One nurse asked her colleague while they were walking down the sterile white hallways of the hospital.

Her fellow nurse and best friend nodded, clutching a medical chart closer to her chest. "I've never seen him looking so worried before." She recalled the sight of seeing Ryosuke carrying his wife in his arms, a fellow doctor, at the reception area an hour ago. As far as anyone could remember, it was the first time the director did not have his usual possession of calmness and composure. If it weren't for the situation, seeing a flicker of emotion in him was a refreshing change that all the hospital staff will agree. It made him appear less intimidating.

The head of the nurses who happen to pass by them on the way to the nurse station also joined the conversation briefly. "She's one lucky woman to have such a good husband." There was a tinge of envy in her voice and they all knew why. Ashikaga Hitomi had divorced her husband, who apparently was a heavy drinker and gambler. He did not even come close to Takahashi Ryosuke in his attitude toward his wife.

Before she left the two alone, they heard her mutter something that sounded like "I wonder what's wrong with Takahashi Aya- sama."

At that statement, a new topic of conversation sprang up. "I heard that she…"

* * *

"Oh, Kami- sama…" Keisuke breathed, a grimace forming on his boyish face.

The form of his sister- in- law that lay on the hospital bed was like a Twilight- zone version of her normally cheerful self. Her face now was void of any color, looking terribly pale. He'd never have guessed that the healthy glow on her complexion could be traded for such a dull and sickly appearance even when she was unwell.

Junko- sensei, the female doctor who had just left after explaining her condition to them had assured that this was not a life- threatening condition. He trusted the professional but he had more faith in his brother's words. Ryosuke had not spoke even one word to anyone else except the doctor since he and Kyoko had arrived. Then again, if his brother were to tell him that she's fine, he wasn't sure if he could accept it. Looking at her from the open door, she seemed a far cry from what the doctor had said, that she had exhausted herself. Surely exhaustion can't drain a person until like that.

Sighing, he leaned against the cream- colored wall and closed his eyes briefly. He muttered a short prayer. Praying was never a habit of his and he had never seen a real need of divine intervention, unlike now.

Kyoko, who had been standing beside him, held his hands in hers and squeezed reassuringly. "She'll be fine. Don't worry."

He nodded dumbly. His girlfriend chanced a look at the elder Takahashi and sighed. Both looked so helpless and vulnerable. They now gave an impression so different as they did when they were the famous Rotary brothers; so confident and in control. Never in a thousand years had she thought there would be a time when they can be like this over a woman. As Keisuke's girlfriend, she could do nothing more than being by his side in a time like this. And as for the rest, it all depends on Aya- san herself. On her will to wake up and let them know she's well. Only then would she be able to bring both men to their usual self. Kyoko believed in her. She had seen before the glimmer of fierce determination in those eyes of her darling's sister- in- law to know for sure that nothing had stopped her before in life and even _this_ wasn't much of an arduous task to her.

* * *

_Please wake up. _It was more of a plea of his part than a had never pleaded for anything in his life and hoped that a higher power would be very more than glad to fulfill this.

He had her limp hand in his as he sat on a chair by her bed. Every so often, he would kiss her fingers gently, willing her to open her eyes. It was in vain. For the past three hours, she did not move a finger, or had any other movement coming from her. Part of him was going insane with worry, the other part of him was calm, telling him that this wasn't something he should worry too much, that she'll wake up when she felt like it. However, when it comes to her, especially now that she's having a life inside her, all his self- control just slipped away like running water through his fingers and only worry raged in his mind. He did not have the privilege to care about sleep and the surgery he was going to carry out later just yet. She came first in everything.

He heard footsteps approaching. Without turning his head, it was obvious who it was. The footsteps stopped beside his chair and the voice of his younger brother came out. "Aniki…"

Keisuke half- expected for a sort of acknowledgement, but when the silence stretched between them, he knew it was going unanswered. "Do you want a coffee? You look sleepy."

He had to hand it to him. Despite his efforts to conceal the effect of a busy day on his body, Keisuke could still see through his pretense. Probably because they're brothers. "I'll have one. Thanks, Keisuke."

For a second there, Keisuke was taken by surprise. Then, he murmured, "Sure." and went downstairs to the cafeteria with Kyoko.

When the two left, Ryosuke leaned back tiredly into his seat and his hold on her hand loosened considerably. He gazed tiredly at her and yawned, loud enough for anyone out in the hallway to hear if it weren't for the closed doors. He was glad for it being there and allowed himself to rest for a bit.

* * *

She opened her eyes for just a fraction and instantly closed them again. The light above her was blinding. _Funny. Our house don't have such a light, _she thought, pushing herself up from the bed.

Attempting to look around, she cracked open one eye first and the other one soon after. The room was unfamiliar, with its white lights and windows covered in soft- colored vertical blinds. It was the hospital! she realized and that she was being admitted to one of the large, expensive VIP suites. It wasn't surprising for her to be in one of the few hospital suites, but the fact that this one was designed according to her taste was a quite a startling revelation. She'll ask Ryosuke about it when they were back at home.

Ryosuke…

Reflexively, she looked down to her hands and traced the limb to _him_. He was holding her, dozed off in a black plastic chair on the right side of her bed. He must be uncomfortable, sleeping on something small and hard, instead of their king- sized bed at home_._ Slowly and gently, she freed her hands away from his and was to proceed to put it on his lap when he woke up.

He turned those gentle, yet sleepy blue eyes onto her. It focused on her face and finally, he scrambled to his feet at the significance of her awareness and movement. "Aya! You're awake!"

She answered him, only managing something between a croak and hoarse whisper. "Do you want a drink?" A hand of his was on the bedside table, on the ready to pour a cup of water.

She shook her head. Unable to speak, she studied him instead. He looked tired, so tired and she motioned for him to sleep again.

He ignored her and instead, bent over her and gently touched her face. She shivered under his touch. His fingers were cold from the chill of the air- conditioner. Noticing her response, he removed his hand and smoothed down her hair. He combed his hand through her tumbling waves and deeply inhaled the musky scent of her shampoo and conditioner. Having himself worried sick over her well- being for the past hour, nothing seem to be able to pacify the monstrous longing inside him of wanting to touch, smell and taste her to convince him that she was indeed well.

Feeling a sudden blast of cold air on her skin beneath the thin material of the hospital gown, she yearned for the warmth that only his perfectly toned body could provide. She stretched out a hand towards his arm, pulling him close so she could rest her head in the crook of his neck. Her fingers found their way through his dark hair and remained there as she breathed in the masculine fragrance he had on his shirt. The base note smelled distinctly of sandalwood, cedar wood and vetiver, blending in with a fresh and fruity top note, balanced by a flowery- spicy warm middle note.

Their contact brought a sense of comfort to him. He couldn't imagine a life without her. It was a notion that made him feel lucky to be wholly loved by one person and being able to spend all his lifetime being together with the one same person. "Aya…I'm so afraid of life without you. I can't …" he broke off.

Her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't used to Ryosuke sounding so melancholic. "I wouldn't perish so easily and if I do, it'll be with you." she assured him, fisting her hands tightly in the material of his shirt, silently conveying that she will not part from him, even in the face of death, if he wished her to. Anything on her part, so he wouldn't suffer and mourn over her for the rest of his life.

He brought her closer to him, arms wound more tightly around her body. She relaxed into him. His breath hot on her nape and every part of his hard muscles against her body, a primal urge to feel his lips on hers emerged. Her eyes automatically landed on his lips, the perfect shape of his lips beckoning to her.

He opened his eyes and glanced up from his position. He noticed her eyes on his lips but feigned ignorance, waiting to see if she would kiss him first. It wasn't always that she kissed him first, mostly it was him making the first move.

"I love you," she whispered passionately, gently caressing his face. A finger traced the sharp of his nose, his cheekbones, and lips, down the side of his neck, to his arm, stopping there.

The soft feel of her fingertips sent a flash of strong passion surging through his veins. Before he knew what he was doing, their lips were already on each other. He kissed her first.

Warm. Soft. This blissful sensation was the only heaven for him. Where she was the ruler of this paradise.

Pleasure swept her body in one large tide. His hand roved over her shoulders and back, cupping her bottom. Her hands mirrored his movements; the difference was that it landed at his fly instead. Their hunger was barely contained.

After a minute or two, she came to a realization that the wetness of his tongue wasn't enough. It'll never be. An intense, passionate lip- locking moment always ended up on the bed. She knew, and that, he knew too. But not here, in the hospital, of all places. Anytime, someone would sneak in and catch them red- handed. Embarrassing was one thing, and the atmosphere was another. It was wrong, surrounded by the beeping of machines and the stench of medicine in the air. This doesn't even come close to her idea of a romantic boudoir.

He could sense her thoughts from the change in the movement of her lips. She wasn't responding as she was before. Carefully, he distanced their lips a mere inch and took a breath. Both welcomed the air entering their lungs and she almost pulled off completely when he backed her down onto the bed. He nuzzled her throat, then kissed a beeline up her jaw and temple. She moaned into his chest.

"Ani…" Keisuke's voice from somewhere far cut through the love- induced fog that had enveloped their mind. Startled, both pulled away and Ryosuke's head whipped around to look for the person.

His eyes found Keisuke stopping abruptly at the precipice of the open door.

The words tumbled out of him. "Oh. Aniki, Aya. I'm sorry," Keisuke bowed apologetically. The color in his face rose considerably.

She and Ryosuke noticed his embarrassment. Her husband was amused, a hint of a smile on his face. She mouthed to him to stop smiling and not do what he was going to do, feeling sympathetic for Keisuke. Naturally, he did not listen. "I did not hear you knock." he said casually.

'I did knock but no one answered." Keisuke replied softly. She nodded to herself. Of course they did not heard him, they were making out on the hospital bed. Ironic. Across the room, she shot him a grateful look, for not making her to want to rip off his clothes right there and then. Keisuke took a step out of the room, the coffee that he wanted to give his brother still in his hands. "I'll call for the doctor."

"Never mind that Keisuke, I'll do it." Ryosuke neared the headboard of the bed and thumbed the hospital buzzer.

"Okay, Aniki." He left the room.

Ryosuke watched as one of her brows rose slowly and she stared at him questioningly, if not disapproving. "What did you do that for? Bringing him on a guilt trip?"

"For fun," She had known him long enough to get herself used to a side of him that surfaced once in a while. He liked making people feel guilty, especially his little brother. Keisuke was dear to him, yet he was the usual victim of his fun. "Did you see how innocent he looked?"

"Yeah," She found herself agreeing, in spite of herself.

"Are you thirsty?" Ryosuke asked, pouring water into one plastic cup for himself. "Because I already am."

It seems that he'd forgotten about his coffee. She had seen the inky blackness in the small polystyrene cup that Keisuke held in his hands when he entered. Ryosuke drank only black coffee, nothing else. For her, any kind of coffee will do, all except plain, unsweetened coffee. "Didn't you ask Kei to buy you coffee?"

"I suppose I did." He was not this forgetful on every other day. His brain was shutting down, being pushed to their limit for the day.

"Go to sleep. You're sleepy and don't look like the handsome Takahashi Ryosuke I'm married to." she stated matter- of- factly, leaving him staring at her brutal honesty.

"The sleep can wait. I'll do that after the doctor leaves." He settled himself on the black leather recliner placed against the wall. Closing his eyes, a knock was on the door and the doctor entered.

Great. What had the world come to? Interrupted twice in the span of an hour.

"Takahashi- sama," Ryosuke nodded politely. Most of the staffs of the Takahashi family- owned hospital respected him greatly. The doctors looked up to him because he was extremely capable in his field of medicine and management of the hospital. He had the perfect combination of logic, intelligence, and everything more that a person would want. On the contrary, nurses admired him for his good looks and charisma; a knowledge that goes without saying throughout the medical facility. People expected her to be jealous for such undivided attention when she remained indifferent. Such emotions were not hers anymore when she had made the decision to marry him.

"Komatsu- san." The female doctor returned the acknowledgement.

Aya watched as she approached the bed. "I'm Doctor Komatsu Junko. How do you feel?"

"Perfectly fine," she answered, making eye contact with the elder doctor.

Junko smiled, a comforting smile that would make any patient like being in the hospital. She seemed friendly enough and certainly someone who wouldn't breach the confidentiality agreement for a juicy piece of gossip. "I need to do a couple of tests."

She nodded once and her eyes travelled to the ceiling. Blood test and blood pressure tests were the standard procedures. Ryosuke stood up from his position, arms crossed in front of him, observing the happenings in the room.

The doctor opened a metal rectangular- shaped box, pulling out the cuffs for the blood pressure machine. She stood at the side of the bed and began wrapping the pressure cuff around her arm. Pumping slowly to inflate the cuff, she stopped when the artery is completely occluded and pressed the cold end of the stethoscope to Aya's wrist. When she felt as if her brachial artery was at the verge of bursting, the applied pressure decreased.

The first Korotkoff sound whooshed loudly in Junko's ears. Looking at the mercury column, her pressure reading, she noted, was good. Further releasing the cuff pressure until no sound is heard, she obtained the diastolic arterial pressure.

"How's the—" Aya began to ask when Ryosuke cut her questioning. She scowled at him, annoyed at the show of authority in his voice. Beneath it, she knew he cared for her, but that still didn't make it easy on the ears.

"What's the pressure?" he interjected smoothly. Her last pressure reading was a definitely low, and he dared himself to expect a slight increase. Physically, her paleness was almost gone.

"One fourteen over seventy-five. Considering your pressure earlier was very much lower, it's good progress." She took out a pen and jotted the reading in the file she brought along.

Ryosuke released a breath he did not know he was holding earlier. It was good news knowing her blood pressure was climbing up to that of a healthy adult.

She glanced at Ryosuke, who, now looked less worried. _Good thing I'm made of stronger stuff._ Sleeping for a couple of hours had done wonders to her body, not that there'll be a second time for the same thing happening.

She vaguely remembered on how she got here, though. For now, she attributed her hospital stay to exhaustion.

"I hope you are not afraid of needles, dear." The woman tore open the thin package of the needle and attached it to the open end of the syringe.

"Uh…I'm not." she lied. From the corner of her eyes she saw him moving towards her. _So much for me lying only to have him ruining the bluff, _she thoughtunenthusiastically, subtly moving her eyes away from the brandished syringe.

The doctor who had years of experience in the field had seen this countless times, but she arched a surprised brow that the patient did not see. How could a doctor herself be afraid of needles? And speaking of that, she had an I.V. on her hand.

"Relax…" Ryosuke whispered soothingly in her ear, her hand gripping his hand tightly.

"I'll try," she nodded, took a deep breath and let her muscles relax.

"You'll have to. That's the only way if you don't want to feel the pain." His hand went up and down her back.

"It's a quick process. You'll hardly feel anything," Junko assured and inserted the needle, followed by the pulling of the plunger. "Done." she announced to Aya's relieved face, which turned to look at the blood in the cylindrical tube.

"Now, if you would just hold the cotton there." She placed a finger on the soaked cotton ball the doctor held down to the skin.

Junko placed the capped syringe on the table and retrieved an adhesive bandage from one of the many pockets on her coat. "Thank you." She applied the woven fabric plaster.

A thermometer came into view. "The last thing is need is your temperature." She swung the apparatus sharply, resetting it.

Opening her mouth, she felt it being slipped under her tongue. The doctor looked at her watch and seconds later, took the thermometer out.

"Well, that wraps everything up." She placed the end of the thermometer in alcohol.

Aya didn't attempt to ask on her condition. She would ask Ryosuke that, and in the meantime, she braced herself for another session of lecturing if he wanted the truth from her. Even if he did not ask her to spill the beans, she'd do that on her own free will, her conscience prodding relentlessly.

"There's a good news," Komatsu- san began, getting the attention of Takahashi Ryosuke and Aya.

Husband and wife turned to her, eyes asking each other what could it possibly be. Unfortunately, none of them, the doctor aside, knew what the news she had to bring was.

She fixed her gaze on them and informed with the straightest face she could muster. "The child you're expecting is a boy."

A large smile instantly lit up the couple's face and they enveloped each other in a tight embrace. The doctor smiled.

Ryosuke planted a soft kiss on Aya's forehead. "I'll name him—"

She cut him off by placing a fingertip gently on his lips. "Don't hurry." she admonished gently. "You've got all the time in the world to give him a name." She slowly removed her fingers from the erogenous organ.

He replied in a small smile. His heart jumped in him when she looked so happy and had a streak of careless abandon in her. He moved to face the doctor, who was standing quite far- off from them, giving them privacy for their exchange. "Thank you, Komatsu- san." Ryosuke bowed politely.

"You're welcome." She held his gaze in her motherly eyes. "She'll need you even much more from now on." Junko needed him to know that being pregnant is no easy task for a woman.

"I know." he replied, grateful that she was concerned of Aya's well- being.

The person in mind sat up straight, legs dangled at the side of the bed and turned to the doctor. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. After all, it's my duty to inform you." Junko smiled back.

Ryosuke followed the elder professional out of the door. Before leaving, she patted his shoulders lightly. "Congratulations."

Smiling appreciatively, he entered the room again when she disappeared from view.

When he walked back into the room, his face changed imperceptibly. He wore the look people always saw on the senior Takahashi, her father- in- law. _Oh god, he's getting me good._

"Why didn't you ask _anything_ about your condition?" He barely kept his voice level.

"Figured that I could ask you," She decided to give him straight answers, not evading anymore like she had done earlier.

"Why ask me when you did not want to tell me anything before this?" He stared skeptically at her.

"I want to tell you something." she admitted, changing the subject. _Stop acting like you are now_, she wanted to add but hadn't found the courage to. It would be adding fuel into the fire. "Just don't get mad at me."

He fisted his hand a moment before forcing himself to relax. There wasn't any use to get angry at her now when he had been too elated with the news delivered to them minutes ago. A soft sigh escaped him and he acquiesced.

"Alright," He sat beside her on the bed, hands behind him on the mattress.

"I went to Akagi this afternoon." She lowered her eyes to the floor, not attempting to look at him.

He blanched and forced her to look at him, running a hand through his hair. "I thought I told you not to."

"Obviously, I didn't listen." she muttered. In a louder voice, she told him. "I promise this will be the first and the last time as long as I'm pregnant."

He shook his head. "Let's make a deal."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, puzzled.

"You seem better today than any other day." Feeling her bewildered expression coming his way, he explained, "No, I don't include landing in the hospital. You don't look so weak as you did in the previous weeks."

"Meaning? You'll let me drive on mountain passes at the risk of me being admitted to the hospital?" She was almost on his tail, but she did not know that.

"No. I'll drive at the pass and you'll be my passenger." She gasped, unsure if she should believe her ears or not. She decided on the previous one.

"Don't be so shocked." He drew her into his arms. "I understand you because I'm your husband."

"Thanks," She choked back the emotion build- up in her when he had told her of his idea.

He looked at her eyes. They were glassy. "I don't mean to hurt or frighten you when I'm angry."

"I know." She nodded, eyes starting to close. "I'm sleepy. You've got to sleep too' Her voice was now a whisper. "Don't make me worry. I love you…" Her head fell on his shoulder, lolling out at an awkward from her body.

"If that's what you want." he told her already sleeping form and tucked her under the sheets. Giving her a kiss on each eyelid, he went to the furniture he wanted to sleep on earlier and leaned all the way to the back.

With a last look at her sleeping form, he submitted himself to the thin veil that kept him from sleeping and fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**Brachial artery**- the major blood vessel of the upper arm.

**Korotkoff sound**- the sounds that medical personnel listen for when they are taking blood pressure using a non- invasive procedure.

**Please review and tell me what you think. I'll be needing it to improve my writing skill on the whole =)**


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